Châteaux d'Augustusburg et de Falkenlust à Brühl

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NHK World Heritage 100 Series (en anglais)

Texte narratif (en anglais)

Brühl is a small town surrounded by forests in the western part of Germany near Cologne. Clemens August became Archbishop of Cologne in 1723 and loved falconry above all else. So much so that he built a country house at his hunting lodge.

The "Falkenlust" is known for its magnificent staircase. The designs on the tiles depict various falconry scenes. The Archbishop also built a small chapel in the garden. Time was spent enjoying hunting in the woods but also sharing time with God. These walls feature shell-covered works, the original "Rococo" style. The word "rococo" is derived from the French word "rocaille", which denoted shell-covered rockwork. The word began to imply decoration using shells; the Rococo style gradually established itself to mean a light and intimately-styled form of decoration. French Rococo spread to Germany.

The main castle is about 2km from the Falkenlust. It took 40 years to build and is Germany's first example of Rococo style architecture. The staircase was designed by the architect Johann Balthazar Neumann. Neumann used an engineering technique which reduced the number of columns and walls needed to support the domed ceiling. The design drew considerable attention among architects of the period. Archbishop Clemens August gave master craftsmen the freedom to work as they pleased – the German Rococo style was born.